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How to Create Factions: Part 1

Starting with…

The World ready!

The easiest way to determine factions would be to simply split them by location, or world history.

Then, the conflict could revolve around gaining or maintaining territory, and that could include groups being pushed out of their original territories and then trying to take them back.

You can also split it by the each of the area’s history, using previous conflicts to shape the factions, i.e. political ones.

The Characters ready!

Build your factions around your characters’ core beliefs.

What do your characters care about? What is their worldview? What about the opposite?

With a focus on the characters, the creation of the factions can become integral to your OC’s story. Will they need to grow out of the faction? Will the faction grow and change as the character does? Will they leave one for another as their story moves forward?

And conversely: what does being in that faction say about the character? What does a monster being in a Hunter’s faction, for example, say about the monster? Are they guilty? Do they doubt their identity, or are they a wolf in Sheep’s clothing waiting to strike?

by Abby Zarakovich

How to Create Factions: Part 2

Video Games have long graduated from simple fights between good and evil. Games are now tied with intricacies and multiple sides, each believing that they are the ones that are correct.

The question now becomes “How do I put that into my game?”. As with my other articles, there are multiple ways to go about this!

It is best to begin at the beginning!

I want to start with the factions…

The Question to ask here is “Why are there factions in the first place?”

Usally a group splits over an arguement; as creator, you decide what kind of disagreement causes the breakup.

What do people believe in enough that their goals and ideals split? Is it something simpler, like a land disagreement or a family squabble? Are the factions gunning for power, splitting politically? Are the factions after a superweapon, an their reasons for wanting it are causing the divide?

In this way, the creation of the factions and therefor, their very existence drives the story.

Emphasis

By creating them first, it puts more emphasis on them, rather than other aspects. This works in your favor if you want to use your story to explore methodologies or philosophies, and what causes people’s differences.

Having factions be at the center of your story allows for discussions with lines drawn in the sand, and it’s up to you (or your players) to decide if they stay, move, or fade entirely.

Effect

A good way to gauge how much your factions affect the story you’re creating is this:

What happens if something about the faction changes?

If destroying the faction of choice does nothing, then it has no impact on the story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing: If it impacts the World or the characters, it can stay! Asking this question can help gauge how much you want to focus on that faction. If it’s deemed insignificant, than you can skim over it, or maybe change your story if you’re really attached to the idea of it.

What does the faction add to your story?

As mentioned above, if the addition of this faction bolsters other parts of your story, it should stay in. Depending on how much it affects the rest, you can draw the players/readers attention to it by having the story be more closely tied to the factions.

DnD for Dummies

Part 1: Character Creation

When you are asked to join a Dungeons & Dragons adventure, it is rare to go as the persona you present in day-to-day life. Instead, you’re given a plethora of options for race and class, and are asked to give your Dungeon Master (DM) a backstory by the end of the week.

If you’re lost and don’t know where to begin, I’m here for you!

There are a few ways to start thinking about this problem:

  1.  What does your party need?
  2. What does your heart and soul want?
  3. What would be fun?

What does your Party need?

If you’re creating characters with everyone else in the party, they can give you fun tips on where to go with your character. Party composition (how a group is organized based on class) will depend on the kind of game your DM wants to run.

A more easy-going adventure won’t depend on perfect stat arrangement, but rather on how characters get along. For this kind of game, make sure that your character can establish a rapport with at least one other member of the party, through shared ideals, gods, race, or backstory details.

A more intense adventure (one more based on survival or monster-vanquishing) will need careful arrangements of stats. Take care to note what each class requires for use, and if this is a first time endeavor, pick an easier class to learn, like Fighter, Wizard or Barbarian.  Many Races in DnD have stats or abilities that can help with specific classes.

 

What does your Heart and Soul want?

What did you want to be when you were a kid? What characters did you want to be, to dress up and pretend to be them? Who do you envy, what parts of them do you want to emulate?

Is there any part of yourself that you wan to explore, that never gets to go out and play?

This character can be your chance to try on different genders, different mannerisms, to be a little more dramatic than usual, to do something new or unusual.

 

What would be fun?

What character concepts have you thought of that you think would knock people’s socks off? Is there a character that this group of friends finds entertaining?

You and the DM can also create a character made for their world, one that holds secrets, or carries the plot, or has aspects unique to the campaign.

 

Communication is what makes any group sing, and character creation is no exception.

 

For additional character creation tips, the official DnD site is https://www.dndbeyond.com/

NeverWinter

NeverWinter: 15 Million Players

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – April 27, 2017 – Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios wants you to know that Neverwinter – a free-to-play MMORPG based on Dungeons & Dragons – now boasts more than 15 million registered players across PC, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. The game is available in more than 110 countries worldwide, most recently releasing in Hong Kong on PS4.

Here is a special thanks to all of our Adventurers here:

Since its original launch in June 2013, Neverwinter has continued to receive expansions, bringing exciting and diverse content from the Forgotten Realms and Dungeons & Dragons lore. From defeating the elven lich Valindra Shadowmantle to facing off against monstrous demon lords in the Underdark and going toe-to-toe with frost giants in Icewind Dale, adventurers continue to experience the Forgotten Realms with players around the world. The Cloaked Ascendancy, now available on all platforms, marks the 11th major content expansion to the action MMO.

“We were thrilled to see that the registered player count for Neverwinter has crossed the 15 million mark,” said Yoon Im, Sr. VP of Game Publishing at Perfect World Entertainment. “This is a huge milestone for both Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment. We’ve seen Neverwinter grow so much since it first entered Open Beta and can’t wait to share what the game has in store for adventurers in the near future.”

“The success of Neverwinter on so many platforms and in so many countries shows how strong the D&D global community is,” said Nathan Stewart, Brand Director of Dungeons & Dragons. “Partnering with Cryptic and Perfect World to bring our annual stories to life in such a visibly stunning way has allowed D&D players to experience the Forgotten Realms like never before.”

“We look forward to continuing our development and realization of the Forgotten Realms to deliver a steady stream of new and exciting content to all our players,” said Gordon Fong, executive producer on Neverwinter. “Whether they are hardcore D&D enthusiasts, MMO players sharing experiences with friends, or solo RPG fans; we want Neverwinter to be a welcoming place for anyone looking for adventure and entertainment.”
Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG that features fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its nearby lands, learning the vivid history of the Forgotten Realms while battling its many enemies. Neverwinter is available on PC and is free to play digitally on Xbox One (with Xbox Live Gold) and PlayStation®4 (PlayStation®Plus not required).

*OnXbox, Xbox Live Gold Membership (sold separately) required.

NeverWinter